Onward and upward

Northwestern played smart. All day. Dan Persa fired four touchdown passes, settling for sticks-moving short gains and opportunistic screens when the Illini rush became troublesome. But in setting up defensively to stymie the ground attack that buried them last year, the Wildcats left themselves vulnerable at the second level. That allowed senior A.J. Jenkins to roam free for the most receiving yards in Illini history, his 268 yards accounting for the major portion of Nathan Scheelhaase's 391-yard aerial bombardment that included 14 completions of 12 or more yards. This is not to overlook the six-catch afternoon by Spencer Harris, his end-zone TD reception before halftime denied for a mystery push.

Tate